Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice.
A two-run homer by Dusty Rhodes proved to be the difference as the New York Giants defeated the Kansas City Athletics 2-1 at the Polo Grounds.
Rhodes broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with a blast off Athletics starter Alex Kellner, who tossed a complete game surrendering just four hits.
New York starter Johnny Antonelli gave up a solo homer to Hector Lopez in the fifth, which turned out to be the only run the Giants pitcher would allow as he fanned five in his complete game performance.
Lopez topped the A’s with three hits with Harry Simpson adding two.
Al Dark, Don Mueller and Billy Gardner had the other hits for the Giants.
New York advances to the second round to face the winner of the battle between the (7) St. Louis Cardinals and (2) Cleveland Indians.
1955 IN REAL LIFE: Rhodes batted .305 in what is his second best season average of his seven years in the big leagues. A star in the 1954 World Series for the winning Giants, Rhodes had just six homers during the 1955 season.
First Round Results and Schedule
Upper Bracket
(1) Brooklyn Dodgers 4, (8) Washington Senators 0
(5) Cincinnati Reds 7, (4) Boston Red Sox 3
(3) New York Giants 2, (6) Kansas City Athletics 1
(7) St. Louis Cardinals at (2) Cleveland Indians
Lower Bracket
(7) Baltimore Orioles at (2) Milwaukee Braves
(6) Chicago Cubs at (3) Chicago White Sox
(5) Detroit Tigers at (4) Philadelphia Phillies
(8) Pittsburgh Pirates at (1) New York Yankees
Second Round Schedule
Upper Bracket
(5) Cincinnati Reds at (1) Brooklyn Dodgers
(3) New York Giants vs. the winner of (7) St. Louis Cardinals at (2) Cleveland Indians